Varun Sayal ~ an interview and his novel Time Crawlers

I AM PLEASED TO WELCOME AUTHOR

Varun Sayal

 

Author Bio:

VARUN SAYAL is an engineer and MBA from I.I.T. and I.S.B. (top schools in India), who has been involved in theatre as a playwright, actor, and director, and has also been an independent movie-maker. His genre of writing is predominantly science fiction blended with mythology and a sprinkle of the gruesome actualities of life. In his own words:

“I think of each story as a surreal, fast-paced narrative that pulls in the reader right from the beginning, takes them through a voyage into an alternate dystopian realm, bequeathing to them images etched permanently on their minds. I live by the quote, 'a true art calms a disturbed mind and disturbs a calm mind.'”

BANTER – STUFF ABOUT YOU

Q: Are you a morning person, or a midnight candle burner?
A: I am both actually. I am writing this at 2 AM in my location. But at times I wake up at 6 AM and start writing. So each day is a new day for me.

Q: What kind of music do you listen to? Do you have an all time favorite song?
A: While writing, I listen to Hans Zimmer’s instrumentals a lot, especially the Inception tracks, “Dream is Collapsing”, “We build our own world”, “Time”. Interstellar’s tracks are amazing too. They keep reminding me that music is absolutely magical. While working out I listen to some peppy numbers, workout music and stuff. Inception’s “Time” would come very close to my all time favorite.

Q: Snack of choice – chips, pretzels, popcorn, or cookies, cake, candy? Or maybe you’re a healthy snacker - fruit, yogurt, nuts, raisins?
A: Oh I am a big time foodie and I am a chips guy. Although I won’t mind cheese loaded fries. There is a very specific snack I love a lot, which we get here in India. It’s called “Soya Sticks” they are very tasty and crispy and filling. I just love them. I do snack on fruits and snack at times, but majorly into unhealthy food, haha.

Q: Coffee or Tea?
A: I love both actually. Teas in the morning and coffee in the late afternoon (when you are sleepy after a heavy lunch). So whenever there is a heated debate going on between tea and coffee lovers, I usually take both sides and negate points on both ends too.

BOOKS – ABOUT THE CRAFT

Q: How did you come to write your genre of choice?

A: Time travel has always intrigued me as a reader and a viewer. Some laws of physics say it’s impossible to go in past, but then that is where science fiction can go and science can’t. When it comes to Time-travel, wonderful possibilities, numerous characters, intertwined storylines and several parallel universes are waiting to be woven.

Q: What do you think is the hardest part of writing a book?
A: Hardest part of writing a story or a novella is getting the conflict right. And conflict can be layered too. A physical conflict may pull a reader in but it’s the philosophical conflict where the writer can hit the reader’s nerve.

Q: Are you a sit down and play it by ear kind of writer, or do you need a structured guideline, or maybe a little of both?
A: I am a little bit of both. I can’t just start writing with an empty mind, I need to have some structure and a conflict premise in mind. At the same time I will never do extensive structural design of a story. I tried that and found I was losing interest. Also when I go with a mild structure, my thoughts surprise me.

Q: What elements have you Never put in your stories? And why?
Para/ Normal, Fantasy, Futuristic, Other
A: I don’t believe I have ever put any slightest angle of romance in my books. Not that I hate romances (I actually do), but I don’t think, I can write romances, ever.

BOOKS - NOW LETS PROMOTE – STRUT YOUR STUFF

Q: What are you working on now? Would you like to share anything about it?

A: I am currently working on writing novellas by expanding the concepts and stories from two of my short stories, “Time Crawlers” and “Genie”. These two stories have been liked by most of my readers. These books would be coming out in near future after I am done with beta reading feedback and copy editing.

Q: Do you have a new book coming out soon? Tell us about it.
A: The book based on Time Crawlers is very close to my heart because it would be my first novella. It will explore the concept of time travel in a very different way and will also bring in a human angle of emotions associated with existing in multiple time-slices. I am expecting to relase it around December timeframe.

Q: How can we find you? Do you have a web page, FaceBook page or any buy links?
A: Website and Social Media Links:
Website: http://varunsayal.in/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/varunsayal/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/vsa2
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.in/Varun-Sayal/e/B07F37Z7LX
Goodreads Book Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40540847-time-crawlers
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18131196.Varun_Sayal
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/varunsayal/
Blog: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18131196.Varun_Sayal/blog
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/varun.sayal

Buy Links
US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DRPPGK6
UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07DRPPGK6
India: https://www.amazon.in/dp/B07DRPPGK6
Australia: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B07DRPPGK6
Japan: https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B07DRPPGK6
Spain: https://www.amazon.es/dp/B07DRPPGK6
Italy: https://www.amazon.it/dp/B07DRPPGK6

Blurb
Alien Invasion, Dark Artificial Intelligence, Time-Travel, High-Tech Mythology, Djinn Folklore, Telekinetics and life-consuming Cosmic Entities are some major themes in my book "Time Crawlers" which has 6 tightly-knit, fast-paced Sci-Fi stories. A quick look at the stories:

** Nark-astra, The Hell Weapon: **
The weapons he possesses make him the destroyer of worlds, and he burns for revenge. A high-tech take on ancient Indian mythology.

** Death by Crowd: **
The dark desires of the masses; darknet websites fueled by a crypto-currency. What lurks in the background – an advanced artificial intelligence?

** Genie: **
He rubbed a lamp alright, but what he got was the shock of his life. An entirely sci-fi take on the djinn myth.

** Time Crawlers: **
There are individuals who existing in multiple time periods at once, and there are those who know about them….

** Eclipse: **
No attacks, no blood-shed, yet there was an invasion and a conquest. Who are these shapeshifter aliens being hounded by an eclipse?

** The Cave: **
The fate of an advanced imperial race hangs in balance as a dark celestial entity meets a legendary protector.

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